Car truck



May 8, 1945. R. B. CQTTRELL CAR TRUCK Filed April 30, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 AUHL y 1945- R. B. COTTRELL, 2,3752% CAR TRUCK Filed April 30, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 8, 1945. R. B. COTTRELL CAR TRUCK Filed April 50, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 www klg W QEWL ME @/yl eZ Patented M338 1945 Robert B. Cottrell, (Chicago, lllli, assignor to Ara e loan Steel Foundries, Chicago, L lli,

tion of New .li'ersey Application April 30, 1942, Serial No. lllflihd (Cl. ltd-195122) 12 Claims.

My invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to railway car trucks of the quick wheel change type.

An object of my invention is to design a truck of the above type in which three castings and a plurality of coil springs are utilized, the truck comprising a pair of spaced side frames connected by a bolster, said bolster being directly supported on' the coil springs supported from the frames.

Another object of my invention i to design a truss type side frame of novel form and comprising tension and compression members and spaced columns defining a bolster opening and spaced windows. In my novel side frame the bolster guide surface on each column is of greater depth on the outboard Portion than on the inboard portion thereof, the inboard portion and the intermediate guide lug being terminated at such a distance from the compression member as mit the elevation of the bolster in the bolster opening and the removal therefrom during a wheel change.

Another object of my invention is to provide a truck such as above described in which each column is formed with an arcuate guide surface bisected by a. vertical lug, the bolster comprising an integral wing portion at each side thereof in to percomplementary engagement with the associated surface and comprising a slot or groove receiving the associated lug.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a spring seat on the tension member beneath the bolster opening, said seat being formed with a plurality of spring positioning lugs so arranged that the associated coil springs are each abutted on four sides by respective lugs, one of said lugs abutting all of said springs, certain other of the lugs each abutting a plurality of said springs, and still other of said lugs each abutting one of said springs.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a railway car truck embodying my novel arrange ment, only one end of the truck being shown inasmuch as it i similar at opposite ends thereof.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1, and Figures 3, 4 and are sectional views taken respectively in the planes indicated by the lines 33 and 1- 3 and 5-5 of Figure 1, the bolster being removed in Figure 5.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view compar able to the 'view of Figure 2 but showing a different modification of my invention.

,an adjacent window opening it.

Describing my invention in detail and referring first to the modification shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the truck comprises a side frame generally designated 2 and comprising tension and compression members l and and a column adjacent each end of the frame and merging with said members to define a bolster opening it and The *wnsion member is of box section beneath the bolster openin and comprises the inboard and outboard walls i6 and it reinforced respectively by the vertical ribs i8 and 39, said box section also com prising the top and bottom chords and 22 and the intermediate longitudinal wall 26 parallel with the inboard and outboard walls i i and id. The top wall it is widened to form a spring seat 26 defined by the inboard and outboard walls 28 and St, each of the walls 528 and being beaded as at 3 and B l respectively.

The spring seat 26 is formed with a phu'ality of spring positioning lugs as best seen in the sectional view of Figure 4 wherein it will be noted that the central lug is formed and arranged to abut each of the four coil springs 36% diagrammatically indicated in Figures 3. and 3, and seated at the lower ends thereof on the spring seat 25. Positioned around the central lug 36 are four spring positioning lugs it, each of the lug ill, iii being formed and arran ed to abut two of the springs 3S, as will he clearly appar= ent from the consideration of the sectional view of Figure Outwardly of the lugs iii, ill are four spring positioning lugs 32, 32 each of the lugs 32, 32 being formed and arranged to abut one of the coil springs 38, Thus it will be apparent that each coil spring is positioned on four sides thereof, said spring being abutted on two sides thereof by lugs til, iii, on one side thereof by the lug and on one side thereof by the associated 111g The coil springs 38, 3t afiord a seat at the top thereof as at i l, for the bolster generally designated 15 and hereinafter more fully described.

Each column 3 is formed with an arcnate guide surface 53 and a vertical guide lug bisecting said surface as best seen in Figures 2 and 5. From a, consideration of Figure 2 it will be apparent that the guide surface is somewhat wider than the compression member 6 in order that a maximum bearing area may be provided for the bolster, as hereinafter more fully described. The lower end of each guide lug is formed with an inclined guide surface 511 (Figure l), the upper end of said surface terminating closely adjacent 55 the upper end of the associated spring 538, and it board coil spring 38 at spaced points.

, ciated lug H2.

will be understood that in the event that the spring 38 should tend to creep at its upper end toward the adjacent column 8, the surface will prevent this spring from becoming interlocked with the lower extremity of the lug 50 during unusual bouncing movement of the bolster such as may occasionally occur under service conditions. Th bolster so is a box-like member comprising top and bottom walls 52 and 56 and'spaced side walls 56, 56 as well as an intermediate tran verse wall 58 parallel with the side walls 56, 56. At each side thereof the bolster is formed with an integral wing portion 60, said wing portion comprising an arcuate guide surface in complementar engagement with the guide surface 48 on the adjacent column, and also comprising the vertical. slot or groove 62 formed and arranged for the reception of the lug 50 on said colunm. It will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art that the engagement of each wing portion 60 with the adjacent column serves to interlock the bolster and the side frames in a manner providing a maximum bearing area for said bolster against said column. The inboard half of the guide surface as on each column as well as the lug 50 on said column are terminated at 64 and 56 respectively as best seen in Figure 5 in order that the bolster may be elevated in the bolster opening Ill and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change without disturbing the coil springs 38, 38, the wing portions 60, 60 of the bolster being afforded clearance from the columns 8, 8 by means of the termination of the lug 50 and the inboard half of the guide surface 48 as above described. The outboard half of the guide sur-' face 38 extends upwardly above the plane of termination of the lug 50 and the inboard half of the guide surface it ,as will be clearly seen in Figure 5 in order to provide a maximum bearing area for the wing portion 60. The bottom wall 54 of the bolster comprises the spaced'spring positioning lugs 68, 68 and it will be readily understood from a consideration of Figures 2 and 3 that the lugs 68, 68 are arranged in pairs, one pair abutting the outboard coil spring 38 at spaced points and the other pair abutting the in- On the inboard face of each column adjacent its juncture with the compression member is a brake hanger bracket, fragmentarily indicated at ill, of

' usual form.

Figure 6 shows a'difierentmodification of my invention in which the truck, generally designated I02, comprises a side frame Hit and a, bolster Hit. The side frame shown in Figure 6 is substantiallyidentical with that shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive except that the guide surface on each column is arcuate as at I08 on the outboard half thereof and is flat as at I it on the inboard half thereof, said guide surface being bisected as in the previous modification by a vertical guide lug H2. The bolster Hi6 comprises a wing portion I H3 at each side thereof and said wing portion is in complementary engagement with the surfaces I08 and l l8 and is provided with a vertical slot or groove H6 receiving the asso- The bolster N16 is supported from the side frame I04 by means of spaced coil springs H1, Ill as in the previous modification.

It will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the ,art that the truck fragmentarily shown in Figure 6 is substantially identical with that shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive except for the shape of the guide surfaces I08 and lit on the columns of the truck frame lfl i, said guide surfaces being in complementary engagement with the wing portion Ht on the adjacent side of the bolster. It will also be understood that in the modification shown in Figure 6 the lug H2, bisecting the guide surface on the column, is terminated short of the compression member whereby the bolster may be elevated in the bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change, and it will also be understood that the guide surface HD is also terminated short of the compression member, both the guide surfac H0 and the lug H2 being spaced from the compression member a greater distance than the guide surface I08 as in the previous modification, whereby a maximum bearin area may be provided for the wing portion H4 against the arcuate surface I08 while at the same time removal of the bolster I06 from the bolster opening is permitted durin a quick wheel change substantially as described for the previous modification.

It is to be understood that I do not Wish to be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown which are merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members and spaced columns defining therewith a bolster Opening, said compression member being of box-section above said opening, a bolster guide surface on each column approximately bisected by a substantially vertical lug, resilient means on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolster seated directly on said resilient means and comprising at each side thereof a wing portion in complementary engagement with the adjacent surface and having a groove for the reception of the associated lug, each wing portion being vertically spaced a substantial distance from the bottom of said bolster, and each lug and the inboard half of the associated guide surface being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the associated wing portion whereby said bolster may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change.

2. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members and a column element partly defining therewith a bolster opening, said compression member being of boxsection above said opening, resilient means on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolster element seated directly on said resilient means, one of said elements having a bolster guide surface and the other of said elements having a bolster guide surface in complementary engagement with the first-mentioned surface, substantially vertical complementary tongue and groove interlocking means approximately bisecting said surfaces and slidably interlocking said elements, the guide surface on the bolster element terminating a substantial distance above the bottom thereof, and the inboard half of the guide surface on the column element, as well as the interlocking means thereon, being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the guide surface on the bolster element whereby said bolster element may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change.

3. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members and spaced ass/aces columns defining therewith a bolster opening, said compression memberbeing of box-section above said opening, a concave bolster guide surface on each column bisected by a substantially vertical lug, a spring group on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolster seated directly on said group and comprising at each side thereof a wingportion in complementary engagement with the adjacent surface and having a groove for the reception of the associated lug, each wing portion being vertically spaced a substantial distance from the bottom of said bolster, and each lug and the inboard half of the associated guide surface being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the associated wing portion whereby said bolster may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change, each of said lugs presenting an inclined guide surface for an adjacent spring of said group, the upper end of said inclined surface terminating closely adjacent the upper end of said last-mentioned spring.

4. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members and a column element partly defining therewith a bolster opening, said compression member being of box-section above said opening, a spring group on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolster element seated directly on said group, one of said elements having a concave bolster guide surface and the other of said elements having a convex bolster guide surface in complementary engagement with the first-mentioned surface, substantially vertical complementary tongue and groove interlocking means bisecting said surfaces and slidably interlocking said elements, the guide surface on the bolster element terminating a substantial distance above the bottom thereof, and the inboard half of the guide surface on the column element, as well as the interlocking means thereon, being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the guide surface on the bolster element whereby said bolster element may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change, each of said lugs presenting an inclined guide surface for an adjacent spring of said group, the upper end of said inclined surface terminating closely adjacent the upper end of said last-mentioned spring.

5. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members and spaced columns defining therewith a bolster opening, said compression member being of box-section above said opening, a bolster guide surface on each column interrupted intermediate the inboard and outboard edges thereof by a substantially vertical lug, a spring group on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolster seated directly on said group and comprising at each side thereof a wing portion in engagement with the adjacent surface and having a groove for the reception of the associated lug, each wing portion being vertically spaced a substantial distance from the bottom of said bolster, and each lug being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the associated wing portion whereby said bolster may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change.

6. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members, and a column element partially defining therewith a bolster opening, said compression member being of box-section above said opening, a spring group of and slidably interlocking said elements, the

guide surface on the bolster element terminating a substantial distance above the bottom thereof, and the interlocking means on said column element, being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the guide surface on the bolster element whereby said bolster element may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change.

7. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members and spaced columns defining therewith a bolster opening, said compression member being of box-section above said opening, a concave bolster guide surface on each column interrupted by a substantially vertical lug disposed intermediate the inboard and outboard edges of said surface, a spring group on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolster seated on said group and 001m prising at each side thereof a wing portion in complementary engagement with the adjacent surface and having a groove for the reception of the associated lug, each wing portion being vertically spaced a substantial distance from the bottom of said bolster, and each lug and the portion of the associated column guide surface inboard thereof being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the associated wing portion, whereby said bolster may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change.

8. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members and a column. element partly defining therewith a bolster open ing, said compression member being of box-section above said opening, a spring group on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolster element seated directly on said group, one of said elements having a concave bolster guide surface and the other of said elements having a convex bolster guide surface in complementary engagement with the first-mentioned surface, substantially vertical complementary tongue and groove interlocking means disposed intermediate the inboard'and outboard edges of said surfaces for slidably interlocking said elements, the guide surface on the bolster element terminating a sub stantlal distance above the bottom thereof, and the interlocking means on the column element, as well as the portion of the guide surface on said column element inboard said last-mentioned interlocking means, being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the guide surface on the bolster element, whereby said bolster element may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick Wheel change.

9. In a railway car truck, a side frame having compression and tension members and spaced columns defining therewith a bolster opening, said compression member being of box-section above said opening, a concave bolster guide surface on each column bisected by a substantially vertical lug, a spring group on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolster seated directly on said group and comprising at each side thereof a wing portion in complementary engagement the adjacent surface and having a groove for the reception of the associated lug, each wing portion being vertically spaced a substantial distance from the bottom of said bolster, and each lug and the inboard half of the associated guide surface being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the associated wing portion whereby said bolster may be elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change.

19. In a railway car truck, a Side frame having compression and tension members and a column element partly defining therewith a bolster opening, said compression member being of box-section above said opening, a spring group on said tension member in said opening, a one-piece bolsteaelement seated directly on said group, one of said elements having a concave bolster guide surface and the other of said elements having a convex bolster guide surface in complementary engagement with the first-mentioned surface, substantially vertical complementary tongue and groove interlocking means bisecting said surfaces and slidably interlocking said elements, the guide surface on the bolster element terminating a sub-. stan'tial distance above the bottom thereof, and the inboard hal of the guide surface on the colurnn element, as well as the interlocking means thereon, being terminated at a distance from said compression member greater than the depth of the guide surface on the bolster element whereby said bolster element maybe elevated in said bolster opening and removed therefrom during a quick wheel change.

.' in a railway car trucls, a side framecomspaced columns and an intervening bolgara es ster opening, a, guide-surface on each column interrupted intermediate its inboard and outboard edges by a substantially vertical lug, a spring group on said frame in said opening, one spring of said group being disposed closely adjacent each lug and in alignment therewith longitudinally of the frame, a bolster comprising a, substantially fiat bottom spring seat bearing against said group, said bolster comprising faces at opposite sides thereof cooperating with the surfaces on said columns, said faces having substantially vertical slots receiving respective lugs, each of said lugs presenting a beveled surface facing the adjacent spring and sloping downwardly toward the guide surface of the associated column, the upper extremity of said beveled surface terminating at approximately the same level as the upper level of said group.

12. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening bolster opening, a concave guide surface on each column approximately bisected by a substantially vertical lug, a spring group on said frame in said opening, one spring of said group being disposed closely adjacent said lug and in alignment therewith longitudinally of the frame, a bolster comprising a downwardly facing substantially fiat spring seat bearing against said group for support thereby, said bolster comprising convex faces at opposite sides thereof cooperating with the concave surfaces on respective columns, said faces having substantially vertical slots receiving respective lugs, each of said lugs presenting an inclined guide surface facing the adjacent spring and sloping downwardly therefrom toward the guide surface of the associated column, the upper extremity of said inclined guide surface terminating at approximately the same level as the upper level of said group.

ROBERT B. COITRELL. 

